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A community survey has been posted on Santa Ana’s web page, and results will be considered during creation of a five-year citywide strategic plan. The survey results, together with other community input, will be presented to the City Council at a workshop this fall. A Strategic Planning Information Portal has been created at santa-ana.org/strategic-planning.

The eight businesses

These business owners are contesting a plan under which Santa Ana would widen a portion of Bristol Street, from Washington Avenue to 17th Street, and acquire their properties. The text is from a presentation they prepared.

Dr. Kent Ochiai, dentist, 1601 N. Bristol. “Dr. Ochiai, offering specialized dental services; he and his father before him have been here for more than 45 years.”

Larry Kaplan, McDonald’s restaurant owner/operator, 1439 N. Bristol. “Mr. Kaplan, provides a place for families to gather for meals, provides jobs, and he’s done charitable work in the community for more than 30 years.”

Fumio Demura, sensei/karate studio owner, 1429 N. Bristol St., “Mr. Demura, teaching good character, confidence, and he been helping Santa Ana kids be better people for more than 45 years.”

Dr. Veronica Rosales, dentist, 1417 N. Bristol. “Dr. Rosales, has been providing good dental care to the community for more than 20 years.”

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SANTA ANA – A group of business owners along Bristol Street have banded together to see if together they can find a way to remain on their portion of the corridor, which the city plans to widen from four to six lanes.

Jeronimo Chavez, who operates a real estate and accounting business, said that last week he received a preliminary offer of $485,000 for his building. He’s been operating on Bristol for 24 years, and since 2008 at his current location.

The problem that he and other business operators say they face is a lack of space nearby.

“There are not very many properties that I can get on a major street, with this kind of exposure,” said Chavez, who operates JC Realtors.

The businesses, who collectively boast more than 235 years of service along a strip of Bristol across from Santa Ana College, want to see the city consider an alternative that would allow for the widening, and permit them to remain at their current locations. Some have been operating on north Bristol, near 17th Street, for more than four decades.

The city envisions widening the street from four lanes to six, with a raised median in the center, a 15-foot-wide parkway and a 10-foot-wide sidewalk to accommodate increasing pedestrian traffic. City staff is recommending a 150-foot-wide project.

The phase of the project that affects the eight businesses, from Civic Center Drive to 17th Street, is under design, and a portion that directly affects them, from Washington Avenue to 17th Street, is fully funded, with right-of-way acquisition budgeted for this year. The city’s 2013/14 capital improvement program includes nearly $11.5 million for the right-of-way phase of the widening from Washington to 17th.

“Widening of Bristol Street is needed to improve the capacity of the roadway to accommodate future mobility and traffic volumes, and to beautify and provide amenities to improve the quality of life in Santa Ana,” said William Galvez, acting executive director of the city Public Works Agency. Plans also call for bike lanes and native landscaping, he said.

“We understand the need for the city to have street improvements,” said Christina Rush, office manager for optometrist Robert Gonzales. “We’re behind the city trying to beautify the street.”

The business owners have set up meetings with a majority of the City Council, city staff and Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who also represents the area, to press their concerns.

The business operators are recommending a 120-foot-wide plan that they say would result in the same width of sidewalk, along with uniform, drought-resistant landscaping, façade improvements and shared parking that could serve as a model for re-use of older buildings, and likely save money. They say they want to look for ways to collaborate with Santa Ana College across the street. The city would lose the parkway, while the businesses would have to give up 3 to 8 feet of frontage while remaining in place. Only a dental office and a McDonald’s restaurant would require either modifications or reconstruction at their sites, they say.

“If their concern is to have their six-lane major arterial, and they want to beautify Bristol, they want to increase traffic flow, they want to improve the general quality of the street,” Rush said, “you can still achieve what the city’s goals are while keeping our businesses here.”

Councilwoman Michele Martinez, who met with the business owners recently, recommended that they seek council support for a study session at which the full council could hear their concerns, get background from city staff and seek a course of action.

“We want bike lanes, we want people to walk,” she told the group. “This is a perfect opportunity, what you guys are describing, to meet the needs of not only Santa Ana College, but also providing more people to come to your guys’ business – you create the appeal that people can actually bike and walk and not just be in their vehicles.”

She said the plans need to be updated because there is no funding, through either Measure M2 or grants, for parkways.

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Bristol Street Business Owners Coalition members have banded together to convince Santa Ana to adopt a compromise plan which maintains the widening of Bristol Street yet preserves area businesses. The group says they have a combined 235 years of service to the community. Construction is already proceeding south of their location. From left are, real estate broker Jeronimo Chavez, acupuncturist Yong Lee, tax agent Catalina Phan, Dave Shah, representing Genbu-Kai Karate School, optometrist Robert Gonzales, Jim Turner, representing Genbu-Kai Karate School, dentist Kent Ochiai, dentist Veronica Rosales and McDonald's restaurant owner Larry Kaplan. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Traffic passes through a construction zone on Bristol Street at Santa Ana Boulevard on Oct. 8. In 1990, Santa Ana embarked on a long-term project which continues today to widen Bristol Street to six lanes, with three lanes in each direction. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dr. Kent Ohciai and his father before him have operated a dental practice on Bristol Street in Santa Ana for over 45 years. He is part of the Bristol Street Business Owners Coalition which has banded together to convince Santa Ana to adopt a compromise plan which maintains the widening of Bristol Street yet preserves area businesses. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Santa Ana council member Michele Martinez, second from right, meets with members of the Bristol Street Business Owners Coalition on Oct. 8, to hear their plan for the widening of Bristol Street. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A woman watches Bristol Street construction at Santa Ana Boulevard on Oct. 8 In 1990, Santa Ana embarked on a long-term project which continues today to widen Bristol Street to six lanes, with three lanes in each direction. The sign notes that the 2nd Street to 10th Street segment is due for completion spring 2014. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Real estate broker Jeronimo Chavez makes a point on the widening of Bristol Street in an Oct. 8 meeeting with Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Christina Rush of the Bristol Street Business Owners Coalition discusses their plan for the widening of Bristol Street during an Oct. 8 meeting. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
McDonald's restaurant owner/operator Larry Kaplan listens to plans for widening Bristol Street in Santa Ana. His business will reconfigure and stay on the property in any case, but he is supporting other local businesses that could be forced to move. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Traffic passes through a construction zone on Bristol Street south of Santa Ana Boulevard on Oct. 8. In 1990, Santa Ana embarked on a long-term project which continues today to widen Bristol Street to six lanes, with three lanes in each direction. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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